Warriors to battle the Storm

Last season, Utah ended Sioux Falls' playoff bid with a 68-55 win at the E Center en route to its first Indoor Bowl appearance. Tonight, the Utah Warriors will attempt to repeat their performance from last year as they take on the Sioux Falls Storm in South Dakota.

The two teams, however, are in different positions from last year. Utah has managed a 7-8 record this season. It was 9-2 last year.

Sioux Falls has never won in the postseason, but the Storm has won 11 of its last 12 games. Under starting quarterback Jose Fuentes, who missed the start in the E-Center, the Storm are 7-1 and a perfect 7-0 at home, including a 62-37 win over the Warriors on May 29.

Starting quarterback Doug Smith missed the previous meeting in Sioux Falls due to a concussion. Smith is fourth in the NIFL with a 106.1 pass rating.

This will be the sixth meeting between the two teams. Utah has a leg up in the overall matchup with the Storm with a 3-2 record in the previous five meetings. Neither team has won on each other's home field, however, a trend the Warriors would like to break.

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E-mail: acole@desnews.com